Partial spray refurbishment of sputtering targets

ABSTRACT

In various embodiments, eroded sputtering targets are partially refurbished by spray- depositing particles of target material to at least partially fill certain regions (e.g., regions of deepest erosion) without spray-deposition within other eroded regions (e.g., regions of less erosion). The partially refurbished sputtering targets may be sputtered after the partial refurbishment without substantive changes in sputtering properties (e.g., sputtering rate) and/or properties of the sputtered films.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/861,177, filed Aug. 1, 2013, the entiredisclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

In various embodiments, the present invention relates to spraydeposition of metallic and/or non-metallic powders, in particular spraydeposition for partial refurbishment of sputtering targets.

BACKGROUND

Sputtering, a physical-vapor-deposition technique, is utilized in manyindustries to deposit thin films of various materials with highlycontrollable composition and uniformity on any of a variety ofsubstrates. In a sputtering process, a sputtering target of the materialto be deposited (or a component thereof) is subjected to bombardment byenergetic particles (e.g., plasma particles), which thus eject atoms ofthe target material toward the substrate, on which they are deposited.Conventional new (i.e., unused) planar sputtering targets have flatround or flat quasi-rectangular shapes. For example, FIG. 1 depicts anew sputtering target 100 idealized as a rectangular prism. (In reality,planar sputtering targets are typically quasi-rectangular with roundedcorners or are even round.) During sputtering, this shape is erodedaway, and by the target's “end of life” (i.e., the point at which theused target is replaced by a new pristine target), typically only aportion of the target material has been utilized. Thus, the user of thesputter target typically must discard the remaining target material (andthus most of the remaining value of the original target). As describedin U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0216602, 2008/0271779,and 2013/0156967 (the entire disclosures of which are incorporated byreference herein), this utilization dynamic makes sputter targets goodcandidates for refurbishment via spray deposition, e.g., cold spray.

However, sputtering targets are typically eroded away in a manner thatprovides an irregular surface at the target's end of life. FIG. 2depicts a plan view of an eroded sputtering target 200 having a typical“racetrack” (or “annular”) erosion pattern. This characteristic pattern,as well as its depth profile, is typically a result of the shape andintensity of the magnetic field applied by the magnetron during thesputtering process. The erosion pattern of eroded target 200 typicallyincludes multiple regions of different depths. For example, the erodedtarget may have one or more deep pockets 210, which are regions of themost erosion (i.e., target utilization) and having the deepest surfacedepth. The deep pockets 210 may result from the “pinching” (i.e.,increased intensity) of the magnetic field near ends 220 of the target200, which causes erosion rates to be, e.g., 2-3× or even higher, theerosion rate in other locations of target 200. The depth of the deeppockets 210 typically determines the end of life of eroded target 200,as the target is typically replaced when this depth approaches theinitial thickness (i.e., thickness prior to sputtering) of target 200.That is, the eroded target 200 is typically replaced when the bottomsurface of the deep pockets 210 approaches the back surface of thetarget 200.

As shown, the erosion profile of eroded target 200 also includes one ormore medium-depth regions 230 of less erosion and having shallowerdepths than those of deep pockets 210. The medium-depth regions 230typically result from the shape of the magnetic field applied duringsputtering, which tends to be less intense away from ends 220 of thetarget 200. The erosion profile of eroded target 200 also includes oneor more shallow regions 240 from which little if any material of thetarget 200 is sputtered. That is, the thickness of the target 200 inshallow regions 240 may be only slightly less than, or evensubstantially equal to, the initial thickness of target 200 prior tosputtering (which may be, e.g., approximately 18 mm or even greater). Asshown, the deep pockets 210 and the medium-depth regions 230 maycollectively define at least a portion of a recessed annulus on target200, where the deep pockets 210 correspond to opposite ends of theannulus near opposite ends of the target 200 (e.g., narrower ends of asubstantially rectangular target 200). All or part of the center of theannulus may correspond to one or more of the shallow regions 240.

FIG. 3 is side view of an eroded target 200 depicting an exemplarysurface contour (represented by the dashed line) extending from deeppockets 210 to the medium-depth region 230. In shallow regions 240 thetarget 200 has a thickness 300 that may be only slightly less than(e.g., 5% less than, or even less) or substantially equal to the initialthickness of target 200 prior to sputtering. As shown, the deep pockets210 have depths 310 that extend deep into the thickness of target 200.For example, depth 310 may be greater than 50%, or even greater than75%, of the initial thickness of target 200 prior to sputtering.Furthermore, the remaining thickness of the target 200 beneath deeppockets 210 (i.e., the difference between the initial thickness oftarget 200 and depth 310) may be, for example, in the range of 1 mm to 3mm. Medium-depth regions 230 have considerably thicker remainingthicknesses of the target 200, and may have depths 320 of only 10%-25%,or even less, of the initial thickness of the target 200. As also shownin FIG. 3, the eroded target 200 is typically attached (e.g., bonded) toa backing plate 330 that supports the target 200 during the sputteringprocess and may act as a conduit for coolant (e.g., water) thatregulates the temperature of target 200 during sputtering.

The irregular erosion profile of eroded target 200 presents challengesfor a refurbishment process, and indeed, many eroded targets are simplyrecycled and replaced with new targets. Even spray refurbishmentprocesses that selectively target the eroded racetrack pattern on target200 can be time-consuming and expensive, and tend to require largeamounts of the sprayed particulate material. Such processes may evenrequire large spray-deposition tools and complicated robotics, and/ormay require that the backing plate be removed prior to refurbishment(thus increasing the complexity, time, and expense of the process).Thus, there is a need for a refurbishment process that extends theuseful life of eroded sputtering targets that may be performed quicklyand inexpensively, and that does not require substantial amounts ofsprayed material. Such a process would also advantageously providerefurbished targets having sputtering properties (e.g., sputter rate,sputtered film thickness, sputtered film uniformity) on par with thoseof the original target.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention enable the partial refurbishment ofused (i.e., eroded) sputtering targets via spray deposition (e.g., coldspray) in order to extend their useful lives. (As utilized herein,“partial refurbishment” means that only a portion of the consumedmaterial of the eroded sputtering target is replaced, and does not implythat additional refurbishment is required for further use of thesputtering target thereafter; rather, sputtering targets that are“partially refurbished” in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention may be utilized for sputtering processes as if they were new.)Preferably only the areas of deepest erosion are at least partiallyfilled with the sputtering material, resulting in a partiallyrefurbished sputtering target that still contains eroded surface regionsbut that nonetheless may be utilized for additional sputteringprocesses. Since the target is only partially refurbished, therefurbishment process may be performed quite rapidly and with lowutilization of the sprayed material, enabling the target to be quicklyreturned to service. Since the target material may be an expensiveand/or exotic material, the low utilization of sprayed materialadvantageously saves material costs. Only small areas are typicallyrefurbished, so the spray deposition may be performed with smallspray-deposition systems (e.g., “hand-held” systems utilizing hand-heldspray guns) and without complicated robotics in many embodiments.Furthermore, since the partial refurbishment is localized to particularareas, it produces less heating of the sputtering target, enablingrefurbishment of the target with the backing plate (which typicallyincludes or consists essentially of a lower-melting-point material suchas copper and/or aluminum) in place, particularly in cases when thetarget is bonded to the backing plate via a low-melting-point bondingagent such as In solder (having melting points of, e.g., between 150° C.and 200° C.). For example, the sprayed target material may be depositedby cold spray at temperatures lower than the melting point of thehacking plate and/or lower than the melting point of the bonding agentused to affix the target to the backing plate. Preferred embodiments ofthe invention also do not require additional surface preparation (e.g.,grinding or polishing) of the partially refurbished areas prior to orafter spray deposition and before the partially refurbished target isagain utilized in a sputtering process.

As mentioned above, embodiments of the invention enable refurbishment ofan eroded sputtering target to the extent that the target may be againutilized for sputtering but while also minimizing consumption of thetarget material (which in many cases can be quite expensive). Forexample, one or more characteristics of the eroded sputtering target, orone or more regions thereof, may be identified in order to at leastpartially determine areas most in need of refurbishment. For example,surface depths and/or shapes of surface contours in various regions ofthe eroded target may be determined by, e.g., visual inspection and/ordepth mapping (e.g., with a laser-based depth mapping system). Theidentified areas may then be at least partially filled with particulatesof the target material by spray deposition while, during the spraydeposition, deposition within other areas of the eroded sputteringtarget is minimized or substantially eliminated. For example, a maskhaving openings corresponding only to areas to be refurbished may bedisposed over the eroded sputtering target prior to and during the spraydeposition. In addition, any particles of the target material depositedon the mask may be recovered and recycled for future spray deposition orother uses. In various embodiments, with or without the mask, the sprayrefurbishment may be perfoimed by an automated spraying system, and therelative motion between a robotically controlled spray gun and theeroded sputtering target (which may be disposed on a movable orstationary platform, framework, or gantry) is controlled (via, e.g.,programming the robotic controls prior to spraying) such that the targetmaterial is sprayed only when the spray gun is disposed over the area(s)to be refurbished. Alternatively, the spray refurbishment may beperformed with a hand-held spray gun, as mentioned above, which may becontrolled by an operator to only spray the target material over thearea(s) to be refurbished.

Moreover, embodiments of the invention enable spray deposition of thetarget material to partially refurbish a used sputtering target having amaximum surface depth (i.e., the difference between the maximumpenetration and minimum penetration (the latter corresponding to, e.g.,the original top surface and/or top surface after refurbishment) in theused target) greater than 9 mm, greater than 12 mm, or even larger. Theremaining thickness of the used sputtering target in the regions to berefurbished may be, e.g., in the range of 1 mm to 3 mm. Thespray-deposited layer preferably has low porosity, a gaseous andnon-gaseous impurity content similar to that of the spent sputteringtarget, grain size and chemical homogeneity equal to or finer than thespent target (which may be, for example, a target not originally formedby spray deposition but rather by, e.g., ingot metallurgy or powdermetallurgy), and a high-quality mechanical and/or metallurgical bond tothe target material. Furthermore, the partial refurbishment inaccordance with various embodiments of the present invention involvesaddition of so little material (compared to the volume of the entiresputtering target before or after use), that thermal and mechanicalstresses produced during the refurbishment are greatly reduced comparedwith refurbishment processes in which larger amounts of the sputteringmaterial are replaced.

Embodiments of the present invention utilize any of a variety of targetmaterials for the partial refurbishment process, although thespray-deposited material is preferably that of the eroded target. Inthis manner, targets partially refurbished in accordance withembodiments of the invention may be utilized (i.e., sputtered) withsubstantially identical performance and properties of the originaltarget, which is typically originally fabricated utilizing non-spraytechniques, e.g., rolling and/or hot isostatic pressing, but which mayalso have been fabricated entirely or partially by spray deposition. Insome embodiments, the target material includes, consists essentially of,or consists of one or more refractory metals, e.g., molybdenum (Mo),titanium (Ti), an alloy or mixture of molybdenum and titanium (Mo/Ti),niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), zirconium (Zr), or mixturesor alloys of two or more of these or one or more of these with one ormore additional metals. In some embodiments, the target materialincludes, consists essentially of, or consists of one or more othermetals, e.g., aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), nickel(Ni), or mixtures or alloys of two or more of these or one or more ofthese with one or more additional metals.

If necessary, after the deposition of the sprayed material, thepartially refurbished target may be annealed to strengthen the bondbetween the spray-deposited material and the original target material.The annealing may be performed at a temperature of, e.g., betweenapproximately 480° C. and approximately 700° C., or even toapproximately 1050° C., and/or for a time of, e.g., betweenapproximately 1 hour and approximately 16 hours. For example, theannealing may be performed at approximately 900° C. for approximately 4hours. In some embodiments (e.g., for targets including, consistingessentially of, or consisting of lower melting point materials such asAl), the annealing may be performed at a temperature of, e.g., betweenapproximately 100° C. and approximately 400° C., and/or for a time of,e.g., between approximately 0.5 hour and approximately 16 hours. Thebacking plate and low-temperature bonding agent (if present) may beremoved from the target during the annealing process.

Prior to the spray deposition of the target material, substantially allor portions of the surface of the eroded target may be treated in orderto provide a high-quality, clean, substantially oxide-free interfacebetween the original target material and the newly deposited material.For example, the eroded surface may be grit blasted, machined, and/oretched (e.g., treated with acid) prior to the spray deposition.

In many embodiments, the interface between the eroded surface of thetarget and the spray-deposited material is detectable visually and/or bymetallographic evaluation. For example, the spray-deposited material mayexhibit improved metallurgical character (finer grain size and a finerdegree of chemical homogeneity) than the original target material.Furthermore, the interface may be detectable via chemical analysis, asit may incorporate a finite concentration of impurities (e.g., oxygenand/or carbon) that is detectable (i.e., greater than a background levelof the target) but that preferably has no deleterious impact on thesputtering process in which the partially refurbished target isemployed.

While the embodiments of the invention detailed herein are mainlydescribed in relation to originally substantially planar sputteringtargets, embodiments of the invention may utilize non-planar sputtertargets such as hollow-cathode magnetron or profiled targets (e.g., suchas those described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2011/0303535, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein), and targets with life-extending “pads” in regions ofanticipated sputtering-induced erosion.

As used herein, a “backing plate” is typically substantially planar,depending on the geometry of the sputtering target, and may include orconsist essentially of one or more materials having a melting point lessthan that of the target material and/or less than the temperature of thespray material during spray deposition. In cases in which the sputteringtarget is at least partially tubular, the backing plate may be tubularor cylindrical. Exemplary materials for backing plates include copperand/or aluminum.

In an aspect, embodiments of the invention feature a method ofrefurbishing an eroded sputtering target while minimizing materialconsumption. The eroded sputtering target has a surface contour defining(i) an upper surface level, (ii) a first eroded region having a surfacedepth recessed below the upper surface level, and (iii) a second erodedregion having a surface depth deeper than the surface depth of the firsteroded region. The eroded sputtering target includes, consistsessentially of, or consists of a target material. One or morecharacteristics of the second eroded region are identified, andparticles of the target material are spray deposited to at leastpartially fill the second eroded region. During spray deposition ofparticles of the target material, deposition of particles of the targetmaterial in the first eroded region (and/or in areas of the erodedsputtering target outside of the first and second eroded regions) issubstantially prevented, whereby the surface depth of the first erodedregion remains recessed below the upper surface level thereafter.

Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following inany of a variety of combinations. The one or more characteristics of thesecond eroded region may include, consist essentially of, or consist ofa difference between the surface depth of the second eroded region andthe upper surface level, a shape of the surface contour of the erodedsputtering target in the second eroded region, and/or a differencebetween the surface depth of the second eroded region and the surfacedepth of the first eroded region. Substantially preventing deposition ofparticles of the target material in the first eroded region may include,consist essentially of, or consist of disposing a mask over at least aportion of the first eroded region. During spray deposition, particlesof the target material may be deposited over the mask. Afterspray-deposition, the particles of the target material deposited overthe mask may be recovered for use in future spray deposition and/or forother uses. Substantially preventing deposition of particles of thetarget material in the first eroded region may include, consistessentially of, or consist of programming an automated sprayingapparatus to spray particles of the target material from a spray gunsubstantially only when the spray gun is disposed over the second erodedregion. Substantially preventing deposition of particles of the targetmaterial in the first eroded region may include, consist essentially of,or consist of translating a hand-held spray gun substantially over onlythe second eroded region when the spray gun is spraying particles of thetarget material.

The sputtering target may be sputtered (i.e., utilized in a sputteringprocess) after spray deposition without deposition of target material inthe first eroded region therebetween. No surface treatment (e.g.,surface grinding and/or polishing and/or etching) may be performed onthe sputtering target between the spray deposition and the sputtering.Spray-depositing particles of the target material may include, consistessentially of, or consist of cold spraying or plasma spraying. Thetarget material may include, consist essentially of, or consist of Mo,Ti, Mo/Ti, Nb, Ta, W, Zr, Al, Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, a mixture of two or morethereof or one or more thereof with one or more other metals, or analloy of two or more thereof or one or more thereof with one or moreother metals. Before spray deposition, a volume of the second erodedregion may be less than a volume of the first eroded region (i.e., thevolume of the region refurbished during the partial refurbishment may beless than 50% of the total eroded volume of the eroded sputteringtarget). The spray-deposited particles that are at least partiallyfilling the second eroded region, the at least partially filled seconderoded region, or all or a portion of the partially refurbishedsputtering target may be annealed. The annealing may be performed at atemperature and/or for a duration sufficient to partially orsubstantially completely relieve any stress/strain resulting from thespray deposition. The annealing may be performed at a temperature lessthat the melting point of the target material.

The eroded sputtering target may include, consist essentially of, orconsist of a target plate of the target material and, affixed to thetarget plate, a backing plate including, consisting essentially of, orconsisting of a backing-plate material different from the targetmaterial. The particles of the target material may be spray deposited onthe target plate while the target plate is affixed to the backing plate.The target plate may be affixed to the backing plate with a bondingagent. The melting point of the bonding agent may be less thanapproximately 200° C. The bonding agent may include, consist essentiallyof, or consist of indium solder. The backing-plate material may include,consist essentially of, or consist of copper, aluminum, and/or steel(e.g., stainless steel). The particles of the target material may bespray deposited with a spraying apparatus that includes a hand-heldspray gun (rather than, e.g., an apparatus featuring a spray gun orspray nozzle configured for relative motion between the gun/nozzle andthe article to be sprayed via robotics or other machine-based controls).

The eroded sputtering target may include, consist essentially of, orconsist of a substantially rectangular target plate of the targetmaterial having first and second opposing ends (e.g., the shorter twoends of the substantially rectangular shape). The first eroded regionmay define at least a portion of an annulus, and the surface contour ofat least a portion of a center of the annulus may correspond to theupper surface level. The second eroded region may include, consistessentially of, or consist of (i) a first end portion of the annulusdefined by the first eroded region proximate the first end of the targetplate and/or (ii) a second end portion of the annulus defined by thefirst eroded region proximate the second end of the target plate. Theparticles of the target material may be spray-deposited via a jet ofsprayed particles, and an obliquity angle between the jet and thesurface contour within the second eroded region may be betweenapproximately 45° and approximately 90°. The obliquity angle may bebetween approximately 60° and approximately 90°. The second erodedregion may be filled with the particles of the target material at leastto (i.e., to a level approximately equal or coplanar to or higher than)the surface depth of the first eroded region. The second eroded regionmay be filled with the particles of the target material at least to(i.e., to a level approximately equal or coplanar to or higher than) theupper surface level (e.g., the topmost level outside of the seconderoded region).

In another aspect, embodiments of the invention feature a method ofpartially refurbishing an eroded sputtering target having a surfacecontour defining (i) an upper surface level, (ii) a first eroded regionhaving a surface depth recessed below the upper surface level, and (iii)a second eroded region having a surface depth deeper than the surfacedepth of the first eroded region. The eroded sputtering target includes,consists essentially of, or consists of a target material. Particles ofthe target material are spray-deposited to at least partially fill thesecond eroded region without filling the first eroded region. Thesurface depth of the first eroded region remains recessed below theupper surface level during and after the spray deposition (e.g., atleast until the partially refurbished sputtering target is utilized in asputtering process). No particles of the target material may bespray-deposited within the first eroded region, or some spray-depositionmay be perfoimed within the first eroded region, but the amount ofmaterial thus deposited is insufficient to fill the first eroded regionto the upper surface level.

Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following inany of a variety of combinations. The sputtering target may be sputtered(i.e., utilized in a sputtering process) after spray deposition withoutdeposition of target material in the first eroded region therebetween.No surface treatment (e.g., surface grinding and/or polishing and/oretching) may be performed on the sputtering target between the spraydeposition and the sputtering. Spray-depositing particles of the targetmaterial may include, consist essentially of, or consist of coldspraying or plasma spraying. The target material may include, consistessentially of, or consist of Mo, Ti, Mo/Ti, Nb, Ta, W, Zr, Al, Cu, Ag,Au, Ni, a mixture of two or more thereof or one or more thereof with oneor more other metals, or an alloy of two or more thereof or one or morethereof with one or more other metals. Before spray deposition, a volumeof the second eroded region may be less than a volume of the firsteroded region (i.e., the volume of the region refurbished during thepartial refurbishment may be less than 50% of the total eroded volume ofthe eroded sputtering target). The spray-deposited particles that are atleast partially filling the second eroded region, the at least partiallyfilled second eroded region, or all or a portion of the partiallyrefurbished sputtering target may be annealed. The annealing may beperformed at a temperature and/or for a duration sufficient to partiallyor substantially completely relieve any stress/strain resulting from thespray deposition. The annealing may be performed at a temperature lessthat the melting point of the target material.

The eroded sputtering target may include, consist essentially of, orconsist of a target plate of the target material and, affixed to thetarget plate, a backing plate including, consisting essentially of, orconsisting of a backing-plate material different from the targetmaterial. The particles of the target material may be spray deposited onthe target plate while the target plate is affixed to the backing plate.The target plate may be affixed to the backing plate with a bondingagent. The melting point of the bonding agent may be less thanapproximately 200° C. The bonding agent may include, consist essentiallyof, or consist of indium solder. The backing-plate material may include,consist essentially of, or consist of copper, aluminum, and/or steel(e.g., stainless steel). The particles of the target material may bespray deposited with a spraying apparatus that includes a hand-heldspray gun (rather than, e.g., an apparatus featuring a spray gun orspray nozzle configured for relative motion between the gun/nozzle andthe article to be sprayed via robotics or other machine-based controls).

The eroded sputtering target may include, consist essentially of, orconsist of a substantially rectangular target plate of the targetmaterial having first and second opposing ends (e.g., the shorter twoends of the substantially rectangular shape). The first eroded regionmay define at least a portion of an annulus, and the surface contour ofat least a portion of a center of the annulus may correspond to theupper surface level. The second eroded region may include, consistessentially of, or consist of (i) a first end portion of the annulusdefined by the first eroded region proximate the first end of the targetplate and/or (ii) a second end portion of the annulus defined by thefirst eroded region proximate the second end of the target plate. Theparticles of the target material may be spray-deposited via a jet ofsprayed particles, and an obliquity angle between the jet and thesurface contour within the second eroded region may be betweenapproximately 45° and approximately 90°. The obliquity angle may bebetween approximately 60° and approximately 90°. The second erodedregion may be filled with the particles of the target material at leastto (i.e., to a level approximately equal or coplanar to or higher than)the surface depth of the first eroded region. The second eroded regionmay be filled with the particles of the target material at least to(i.e., to a level approximately equal or coplanar to or higher than) theupper surface level (e.g., the topmost level outside of the seconderoded region).

In another aspect, embodiments of the invention feature a method ofsputtering a target material. A sputtering target that includes,consists essentially of, or consists of the target material is disposedwithin a first sputtering tool. Target material is sputtered (i.e.,removed via bombardment with ions) from the sputtering target to form aneroded region having a surface contour defining a plurality of differentdepths recessed below a top surface of the sputtering target. Particles(e.g., powder particles) of the target material are spray-deposited toat least partially fill only a first portion of the eroded regionwithout filling a second portion of the eroded region proximate thefirst portion (e.g., without spray-depositing particles in a secondportion of the eroded region, or by spray-depositing an insufficientamount of the particles to fill the second portion of the erodedregion), thereby forming a partially refurbished sputtering target. Thepartially refurbished sputtering target is disposed within a secondsputtering tool, and target material is sputtered from the partiallyrefurbished sputtering target.

Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following inany of a variety of combinations. One or more characteristics of thefirst portion of the eroded region may he identified, e.g., beforespray-depositing particles of the target material. The one or morecharacteristics of the first portion of the eroded region may include,consist essentially of, or consist of a depth of the first portion ofthe eroded region, a shape of the surface contour in the first portionof the eroded region, and/or a difference between a depth of the firstportion of the eroded region and a depth of the second portion of theeroded region. A mask may be disposed over (and even in contact with) atleast a portion of the sputtering target before spray-depositingparticles of the target material. The mask may define one or moreopenings that reveal at least some of the first portion of the erodedregion. During spray deposition, particles of the target material may bedeposited over the mask. After spray deposition, the particles of thetarget material deposited over the mask may be recovered for future use.An automated spraying apparatus may be programmed to spray particles ofthe target material from a spray gun substantially only when the spraygun is disposed over the first portion of the eroded region. Duringspray deposition, a hand-held spray gun may be translated substantiallyover only the first portion of the eroded region when the spray gun isspraying particles of the target material.

A maximum depth of the eroded region below the top surface of thesputtering target prior to spray deposition may be disposed in the firstportion of the eroded region. The first and second sputtering tools maybe the same sputtering tool or different sputtering tools. No surfacetreatment (e.g., surface grinding and/or polishing and/or etching) maybe performed on the partially refurbished sputtering target between thespray deposition and disposing the partially refurbished sputteringtarget within the second sputtering tool. Spray-depositing particles ofthe target material may include, consist essentially of, or consist ofcold spraying or plasma spraying. The target material may include,consist essentially of, or consist of Mo, Ti, Mo/Ti, Nb, Ta, W, Zr, Al,Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, a mixture of two or more thereof or one or more thereofwith one or more other metals, or an alloy of two or more thereof or oneor more thereof with one or more other metals. Before spray deposition,a volume of the first portion of the eroded region may be less than avolume of the second portion of the eroded region (i.e., the volume ofthe region refurbished during the partial refurbishment may be less than50% of the total eroded volume of the eroded sputtering target). Thespray-deposited particles that are at least partially filling the firstportion of the eroded region, the at least partially filled firstportion of the eroded region, or all or a portion of the partiallyrefurbished sputtering target may be annealed before or after it isdisposed within the second sputtering tool. The annealing may beperformed at a temperature and/or for a duration sufficient to partiallyor substantially completely relieve any stress/strain resulting from thespray deposition. The annealing may be performed at a temperature lessthat the melting point of the target material.

The sputtering target may include, consist essentially of, or consist ofa target plate of the target material and, affixed to the target plate,a backing plate that includes, consists essentially of, or consists of abacking-plate material different from the target material. The particlesof the target material may be spray deposited on the target plate whilethe target plate is affixed to the backing plate. The target plate maybe affixed to the backing plate with a bonding agent. The melting pointof the bonding agent may be less than approximately 200° C. The bondingagent may include, consist essentially of, or consist of indium solder.The backing-plate material may include, consist essentially of, orconsist of copper, aluminum, and/or steel (stainless steel). Theparticles of the target material may be spray deposited with a sprayingapparatus that includes a hand-held spray gun (rather than, e.g., anapparatus featuring a spray gun or spray nozzle configured for relativemotion between the gun/nozzle and the article to be sprayed via roboticsor other machine-based controls).

The sputtering target may include, consist essentially of, or consist ofa substantially rectangular target plate of the target material havingfirst and second opposing ends (e.g., the shorter two ends of thesubstantially rectangular shape). The eroded region may define at leasta portion of an annulus, and the surface contour of at least a portionof a center of the annulus may correspond to the top surface of thesputtering target. The first portion of the eroded region may include,consist essentially of, or consist of (i) a first end portion of theannulus defined by the eroded region proximate the first end of thetarget plate and/or (ii) a second end portion of the annulus defined bythe eroded region proximate the second end of the target plate. Theparticles of the target material may be spray-deposited via a jet ofsprayed particles, and an obliquity angle between the jet and thesurface contour within the first portion of the eroded region may bebetween approximately 45° and approximately 90°. The obliquity angle maybe between approximately 60° and approximately 90°. The first portion ofthe eroded region may be filled with the particles of the targetmaterial at least to a depth of (i.e., to a level approximately equal orcoplanar to or higher than) the second portion of the eroded region. Thefirst portion of the eroded region may be filled with the particles ofthe target material at least to a depth of (i.e., to a levelapproximately equal or coplanar to or higher than) the top surface ofthe sputtering target (i.e., the topmost surface of the sputteringtarget outside of the first portion of the eroded region).

In yet another aspect, embodiments of the invention feature a partiallyrefurbished sputtering target that includes, consists essentially of, orconsists of a target plate and a layer of unmelted metal powder. Thetarget plate includes, consists essentially of, or consists of a targetmaterial. The target plate has a surface contour defining (a) a topsurface and (h) a recessed region having a surface recessed below thetop surface. The layer of unmelted metal powder is disposed on thetarget plate adjacent or proximate the recessed region. The layer ofunmelted metal powder has a top surface (a) approximately coplanar withthe top surface of the target plate or (b) recessed below the topsurface to a depth shallower than or substantially equal to a depth ofthe surface of the recessed region. The layer of unmelted metal powderhas an interface with the plate disposed at a depth deeper than thedepth of the surface of the recessed region.

Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following inany of a variety of combinations. The top surface of the layer ofunmelted metal powder may be approximately coplanar with the top surfaceof the target plate. The top surface of the layer of unmelted metalpowder may be recessed below the top surface to a depth shallower thanthe depth of the surface of the recessed region. The top surface of thelayer of unmelted metal powder may be recessed below the top surface toa depth substantially equal to the depth of the surface of the recessedregion. The target plate may be disposed within a sputtering tool. Thelayer of unmelted metal powder may include, consist essentially of, orconsist of the target material. A backing plate may be affixed to thetarget plate. The backing plate may include, consist essentially of, orconsist of a material having a melting point lower than a melting pointof the target material. The backing plate may include, consistessentially of, or consist of copper, aluminum, and/or steel (e.g.,stainless steel). The target plate may be affixed to the backing platewith a bonding agent. A melting point of the bonding agent may be lessthan approximately 200° C. The bonding agent may include, consistessentially of, or consist of indium solder.

The target plate may have a first grain size and a first crystallinemicrostructure. The layer of unmelted metal powder may have (i) a secondgrain size finer than the first grain size, and/or (ii) a secondcrystalline microstructure more random than (i.e., having less preferredcrystallographic texture or orientation than) the first crystallinemicrostructure. The first and second grain sizes may be average grainsizes. The target plate may have been initially foamed by ingotmetallurgy or powder metallurgy. There may be a distinct boundary linebetween the target plate and the layer of unmelted powder. The targetmaterial may include, consist essentially of, or consist of Mo, Ti,Mo/Ti, Nb, Ta, W, Zr, Al, Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, a mixture of two or morethereof or one or more thereof with one or more other metals, or analloy of two or more thereof or one or more thereof with one or moreother metals. The volume of the layer of unmelted metal powder may beless than a volume of the recessed region. The target plate may besubstantially rectangular and have first and second opposing ends (e.g.,the shorter ends of the substantially rectangular shape). The recessedregion and the layer of unmelted metal powder may collectively define atleast a portion of an annulus, and the surface contour of at least aportion of a center of the annulus may correspond to the top surface ofthe target plate. The layer of unmelted metal powder may be disposedwithin (i) a first end portion of the annulus proximate the first end ofthe target plate and/or (ii) a second end portion of the annulusproximate the second end of the target plate.

In yet another aspect, embodiments of the invention feature a method ofsputtering a target material. A partially refurbished sputtering targetis disposed within a sputtering tool, and target material is sputteredfrom the partially refurbished sputtering target (and, e.g., depositedupon an article within the sputtering tool). The partially refurbishedsputtering target includes, consists essentially of, or consists of atarget plate and a layer of unmelted metal powder. The target plateincludes, consists essentially of, or consists of the target material.The target plate has a surface contour defining (a) a top surface and(b) a recessed region having a surface recessed below the top surface.The layer of unmelted metal powder is disposed on the target plateadjacent or proximate the recessed region. The layer of unmelted metalpowder has a top surface (a) approximately coplanar with the top surfaceof the target plate or (b) recessed below the top surface to a depthshallower than or substantially equal to a depth of the surface of therecessed region. The layer of unmelted metal powder has an interfacewith the plate disposed at a depth deeper than the depth of the surfaceof the recessed region.

Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following inany of a variety of combinations. The partially refurbished sputteringtarget may be formed by providing an eroded sputtering target having asurface contour defining (i) an upper surface level, (ii) a first erodedregion having a surface depth recessed below the upper surface level,and (iii) a second eroded region having a surface depth deeper than thesurface depth of the first eroded region, and then spray-depositingparticles of the target material to at least partially fill the seconderoded region without filling the first eroded region (e.g., withoutspray-deposition in the first eroded region, or without sufficientspray-deposition in the first eroded region to fill the first erodedregion to the upper surface level). The partially refurbished sputteringtarget may be formed by providing an eroded sputtering target having asurface contour defining (i) an upper surface level, (ii) a first erodedregion having a surface depth recessed below the upper surface level,and (iii) a second eroded region having a surface depth deeper than thesurface depth of the first eroded region, identifying one or morecharacteristics of the second eroded region, spray-depositing particlesof the target material to at least partially fill the second erodedregion, and during spray deposition of particles of the target material,substantially preventing deposition of particles of the target materialin the first eroded region, whereby the surface depth of the firsteroded region remains recessed below the upper surface level thereafter.

The eroded sputtering target may include, consist essentially of, orconsist of the target material. The top surface of the layer of unmeltedmetal powder may be approximately coplanar with the top surface of thetarget plate. The top surface of the layer of unmelted metal powder maybe recessed below the top surface to a depth shallower than the depth ofthe surface of the recessed region. The top surface of the layer ofunmelted metal powder may be recessed below the top surface to a depthsubstantially equal to the depth of the surface of the recessed region.The layer of unmelted metal powder may include, consist essentially of,or consist of the target material. A backing plate may be affixed to thetarget plate. The backing plate may include, consist essentially of, orconsist of a material having a melting point lower than a melting pointof the target material. The backing plate may include, consistessentially of, or consist of copper, aluminum, and/or steel (e.g.,stainless steel). The target plate may be affixed to the backing platewith a bonding agent. A melting point of the bonding agent may be lessthan approximately 200° C. The bonding agent may include, consistessentially of, or consist of indium solder.

The target plate may have a first grain size and a first crystallinemicrostructure. The layer of unmelted metal powder may have (i) a secondgrain size finer than the first grain size, and/or (ii) a secondcrystalline microstructure more random than the first crystallinemicrostructure. The target plate (or at least a portion thereof) mayhave been initially formed by ingot metallurgy or powder metallurgy.There may be a distinct boundary line between the target plate and thelayer of unmelted powder. The target material may include, consistessentially of, or consist of Mo, Ti, Mo/Ti, Nb, Ta, W, Zr, Al, Cu, Ag,Au, Ni, a mixture of two or more thereof or one or more thereof with oneor more other metals, or an alloy of two or more thereof or one or morethereof with one or more other metals. The volume of the layer ofunmelted metal powder may be less than the volume of the recessedregion. The target plate may be substantially rectangular and have firstand second opposing ends (e.g., the shorter ends of the substantiallyrectangular shape). The recessed region and the layer of unmelted metalpowder may collectively define at least a portion of an annulus, and thesurface contour of at least a portion of a center of the annulus maycorrespond to the top surface of the target plate. The layer of unmeltedmetal powder may be disposed within (i) a first end portion of theannulus proximate the first end of the target plate and/or (ii) a secondend portion of the annulus proximate the second end of the target plate(i.e., the layer of unmelted metal powder may be composed of multipledistinct regions that are not in contact with each other).

In another aspect, embodiments of the invention feature a method ofsputtering a target material. A partially refurbished sputtering targetis disposed within a sputtering tool, and target material is sputteredfrom the partially refurbished sputtering target (and, e.g., depositedupon an article within the sputtering tool). The partially refurbishedsputtering target is foimed by providing an eroded sputtering targethaving a surface contour defining (i) an upper surface level, (ii) afirst eroded region having a surface depth recessed below the uppersurface level, and (iii) a second eroded region having a surface depthdeeper than the surface depth of the first eroded region, andspray-depositing particles of the target material. The particles of thetarget material are spray-deposited to at least partially fill thesecond eroded region without filling the first eroded region. Thesurface depth of the first eroded region remains recessed below theupper surface level during and after the spray deposition (e.g., atleast until the partially refurbished sputtering target is utilized inthe sputtering process). No particles of the target material may bespray-deposited within the first eroded region, or some spray-depositionmay be performed within the first eroded region, but the amount ofmaterial thus deposited is insufficient to fill the first eroded regionto the upper surface level.

Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following inany of a variety of combinations. The partially refurbished sputteringtarget may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a target plateand a layer of unmelted metal powder. The target plate may include,consist essentially of, or consist of the target material. The targetplate may have a surface contour defining (a) a top surface and (b) arecessed region having a surface recessed below the top surface. Thelayer of unmelted metal powder may have a top surface (a) approximatelycoplanar with the top surface of the target plate or (b) recessed belowthe top surface to a depth shallower than or substantially equal to adepth of the surface of the recessed region. The layer of unmelted metalpowder may have an interface with the plate disposed at a depth deeperthan the depth of the surface of the recessed region. The top surface ofthe layer of unmelted metal powder may be approximately coplanar withthe top surface of the target plate. The top surface of the layer ofunmelted metal powder may be recessed below the top surface to a depthshallower than the depth of the surface of the recessed region. The topsurface of the layer of unmelted metal powder may be recessed below thetop surface to a depth substantially equal to the depth of the surfaceof the recessed region.

The target plate may have a first grain size and a first crystallinemicrostructure. The layer of unmelted metal powder may have (i) a secondgrain size finer than the first grain size, and/or (ii) a secondcrystalline microstructure more random than the first crystallinemicrostructure. The target plate may have been initially formed by ingotmetallurgy or powder metallurgy. There may be a distinct boundary linebetween the target plate and the layer of unmelted powder. The partiallyrefurbished sputtering target may include a backing plate disposedbeneath the target material. The backing plate may include, consistessentially of, or consist of a material having a melting point lowerthan a melting point of the target material. The backing plate mayinclude, consist essentially of, or consist of copper, aluminum, and/orsteel (e.g., stainless steel). The target material may be affixed to thebacking plate with a bonding agent. A melting point of the bonding agentmay be less than approximately 200° C. The bonding agent may include,consist essentially of, or consist of indium solder.

The target material may include, consist essentially of, or consist ofMo, Ti, Nb, Ta, W, Zr, Al, Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, a mixture of two or morethereof or one or more thereof with one or more other metals, or analloy of two or more thereof or one or more thereof with one or moreother metals. Before spray deposition, a volume of the second erodedregion may be less than a volume of the first eroded region (i.e., thevolume of the region refurbished during the partial refurbishment may beless than 50% of the total eroded volume of the eroded sputteringtarget). The eroded sputtering target may include, consist essentiallyof, or consist of a substantially rectangular target plate of the targetmaterial having first and second opposing ends (e.g., the shorter endsof the substantially rectangular shape). The first eroded region maydefine at least a portion of an annulus, and the surface contour of atleast a portion of a center of the annulus may correspond to the uppersurface level. The second eroded region may include, consist essentiallyof, or consist of (i) a first end portion of the annulus defined by thefirst eroded region proximate the first end of the target plate and/or(ii) a second end portion of the annulus defined by the first erodedregion proximate the second end of the target plate. The second erodedregion may be filled with the particles of the target material at leastto the surface depth of the first eroded region. The second erodedregion may be filled with the particles of the target material at leastto the upper surface level.

In another aspect, embodiments of the invention feature a method ofsputtering a target material. A partially refurbished sputtering targetis disposed within a sputtering tool, and target material is sputteredfrom the partially refurbished sputtering target (and, e.g., depositedupon an article within the sputtering tool). The partially refurbishedsputtering target is formed by providing an eroded sputtering targethaving a surface contour defining (i) an upper surface level, (ii) afirst eroded region having a surface depth recessed below the uppersurface level, and (iii) a second eroded region having a surface depthdeeper than the surface depth of the first eroded region, identifyingone or more characteristics of the second eroded region,spray-depositing particles of the target material, and, during spraydeposition of particles of the target material, substantially preventingdeposition of particles of the target material in the first erodedregion, whereby the surface depth of the first eroded region remainsrecessed below the upper surface level thereafter. The particles of thetarget material are spray-deposited to at least partially fill thesecond eroded region without filling the first eroded region. Thesurface depth of the first eroded region remains recessed below theupper surface level during and after the spray deposition (e.g., atleast until the partially refurbished sputtering target is utilized inthe sputtering process). No particles of the target material may bespray-deposited within the first eroded region, or some spray-depositionmay be performed within the first eroded region, but the amount ofmaterial thus deposited is insufficient to fill the first eroded regionto the upper surface level.

Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following inany of a variety of combinations. The partially refurbished sputteringtarget may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a target plateand a layer of unmelted metal powder. The target plate may include,consist essentially of, or consist of the target material. The targetplate may have a surface contour defining (a) a top surface and (b) arecessed region having a surface recessed below the top surface. Thelayer of unmelted metal powder may have a top surface (a) approximatelycoplanar with the top surface of the target plate or (b) recessed belowthe top surface to a depth shallower than or substantially equal to adepth of the surface of the recessed region. The layer of unmelted metalpowder may have an interface with the plate disposed at a depth deeperthan the depth of the surface of the recessed region. The top surface ofthe layer of unmelted metal powder may be approximately coplanar withthe top surface of the target plate. The top surface of the layer ofunmelted metal powder may be recessed below the top surface to a depthshallower than the depth of the surface of the recessed region. The topsurface of the layer of unmelted metal powder may be recessed below thetop surface to a depth substantially equal to the depth of the surfaceof the recessed region.

The target plate may have a first grain size and a first crystallinemicrostructure. The layer of unmelted metal powder may have (i) a secondgrain size finer than the first grain size, and/or (ii) a secondcrystalline microstructure more random than the first crystallinemicrostructure. The target plate may have been initially formed by ingotmetallurgy or powder metallurgy. There may he a distinct boundary linebetween the target plate and the layer of unmelted powder. The partiallyrefurbished sputtering target may include a backing plate disposedbeneath the target material. The backing plate may include, consistessentially of, or consist of a material having a melting point lowerthan a melting point of the target material. The backing plate mayinclude, consist essentially of, or consist of copper, aluminum, and/orsteel (e.g., stainless steel). The target material may be affixed to thebacking plate with a bonding agent. A melting point of the bonding agentmay be less than approximately 200° C. The bonding agent may include,consist essentially of, or consist of indium solder.

The target material may include, consist essentially of, or consist ofMo, Ti, Mo/Ti, Nb, Ta, W, Zr, Al, Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, a mixture of two ormore thereof or one or more thereof with one or more other metals, or analloy of two or more thereof or one or more thereof with one or moreother metals. Before spray deposition, a volume of the second erodedregion may be less than a volume of the first eroded region (i.e., thevolume of the region refurbished during the partial refurbishment may beless than 50% of the total eroded volume of the eroded sputteringtarget). The eroded sputtering target may include, consist essentiallyof, or consist of a substantially rectangular target plate of the targetmaterial having first and second opposing ends (e.g., the shorter endsof the substantially rectangular shape). The first eroded region maydefine at least a portion of an annulus, and the surface contour of atleast a portion of a center of the annulus may correspond to the uppersurface level. The second eroded region may include, consist essentiallyof, or consist of (i) a first end portion of the annulus defined by thefirst eroded region proximate the first end of the target plate and/or(ii) a second end portion of the annulus defined by the first erodedregion proximate the second end of the target plate. The second erodedregion may be filled with the particles of the target material at leastto the surface depth of the first eroded region. The second erodedregion may be filled with the particles of the target material at leastto the upper surface level.

These and other objects, along with advantages and features of thepresent invention herein disclosed, will become more apparent throughreference to the following description, the accompanying drawings, andthe claims. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the features of thevarious embodiments described herein are not mutually exclusive and mayexist in various combinations and permutations. As used herein, the term“cold spray” or “cold-spray technique” refers to techniques in which oneor more powders are spray-deposited without melting during spraying,e.g., cold spray, kinetic spray, and the like. The sprayed powders maybe heated prior to and during deposition, but only to temperatures belowtheir melting points. As used herein, the terms “approximately” and“substantially” mean ±10%, and in some embodiments, ±5%. The term“consists essentially of” means excluding other materials thatcontribute to function, unless otherwise defined herein. Nonetheless,such other materials may be present, collectively or individually, intrace amounts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to the sameparts throughout the different views. Also, the drawings are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed uponillustrating the principles of the invention. In the followingdescription, various embodiments of the present invention are describedwith reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an unused planar sputtering target;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of an eroded planar sputtering targetthat may be partially refurbished in accordance with various embodimentsof the invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of an eroded sputtering target mountedon a backing plate;

FIG. 4A is a schematic side view of a used sputtering target, attachedto a backing plate, which has been partially refurbished in accordancewith various embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 4B is a schematic side view of a used sputtering target, attachedto a backing plate, during partial refurbishment in accordance withvarious embodiments of the invention; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are micrographs of portions of partially refurbishedsputtering targets in accordance with various embodiments of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring back to FIG. 3, the eroded sputtering target 200 is partiallyrefurbished in accordance with various embodiments of the presentinvention. The target 200 may include or consist essentially of one ormore (e.g., as an alloy or mixture) of sputterable materials, e.g.,metals. In some embodiments, the target material (i.e., the material oftarget 200) includes, consists essentially of, or consists of one ormore refractory metals, e.g., Mo, Ti, Mo/Ti, Nb, Ta, W, Zr, or mixturesor alloys thereof. In some embodiments, the target material includes,consists essentially of, or consists of, e.g., Al, Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, ormixtures or alloys thereof. The target 200 is typically bonded orotherwise affixed to a backing plate 330 for sputtering (e.g., via Insolder), but target 200 may be partially refurbished in accordance withembodiments of the present invention with the backing plate present orremoved. In some embodiments, one or more characteristics of the erodedsputtering target 200, or one or more regions thereof, may be identifiedin order to at least partially determine areas most in need ofrefurbishment (for example, the deep pockets 210). For example, surfacedepths and/or shapes of surface contours in various regions of theeroded sputtering target 200 (e.g., the deep pockets 210, themedium-depth regions 230, and/or the shallow regions 240) may bedetermined by, e.g., visual inspection and/or depth mapping (e.g., witha laser-based depth mapping system). The coordinates and/or the shapesof the identified areas may be utilized to control the partialrefurbishment process as detailed below.

FIG. 4A depicts a cross-section of a partially refurbished sputteringtarget 400 that has been partially refurbished in accordance withembodiments of the invention. As shown, medium-depth regions 230 arepreferably not refurbished, i.e., not at least partially refilled withtarget material via spray deposition. Rather, only the deep pockets 210are at least partially filled with sprayed material 410 via spraydeposition. Preferably the spray-deposition process includes or consistsessentially of cold spray, and is performed below the melting points ofthe material of target 400 (which typically corresponds to the sprayedmaterial 410) and/or the material of the backing plate 330 (and/or thebonding agent utilized to attack target 400 to the backing plate 330).Prior to the spray deposition, the surface of the eroded target 400 maybe treated to provide a high-quality, clean, substantially oxide-freeinterface between the original target material and the newly depositedmaterial. For example, the eroded surface may be grit blasted, machined,and/or etched (e.g., with acid) prior to the spray deposition.

As shown in FIG. 4B, after the optional surface treatment, spraydeposition is initiated by positioning a spray-deposition gun 450 overeach of the deep pockets 210. The spray-deposition gun may be a portionof a spray-deposition system (e.g., a cold-spray deposition system), forexample, one of the systems described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,414, filedon Feb. 2, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,913, filed on Jun. 29, 1999, U.S.Pat. No. 6,502,767, filed on May 2, 2001, or U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,584,filed on Nov. 30, 2001, the entire disclosure of each of which isincorporated by reference herein.

The spray-deposition gun 450 receives the material to be sprayed (whichpreferably matches the material of target 400) in powder (i.e.,particulate) form, e.g., from a powder feeder (not shown), acceleratesthe powder, and sprays the powder (typically from a nozzle) in a jetthat strikes the surface of deep pocket 210 and is deposited as a layerof material. The density of the deposited layer is typically greaterthan 97%, and preferably greater than 99%. As the sprayed material isdeposited, the gun 450 is translated across the deep pocket 210 and/or,equivalently, the eroded target is itself translated beneath the gun 450(i.e., the gun 450 may be held stationary in some embodiments of theinvention), generating a dense layer of the target material having athickness of approximately 100 μm to approximately 500 μm with each passof the gun over the deep pocket 210.

As shown in FIG. 4B, in sonic embodiments, the spray deposition of thetarget material is minimized or substantially eliminated by disposing amask 460 over all of a portion of the partially eroded sputteringtarget. The mask 460 may include, consist essentially of, or consist ofa suitably rigid or semi-rigid material capable of withstanding thestream of sprayed material without appreciable damage or erosion, e.g.,a metallic, plastic, or ceramic material. The mask 460 defines one ormore openings 470 therethrough that reveal the area(s) of the erodedsputtering target to be refurbished (e.g., the deep pockets 210) whileleaving most or all of the remaining area of the target covered. Duringthe spray deposition, particulates of the sprayed material may formaccumulations 480 on portions of the mask 460. Such material may berecovered and/or recycled for future spray deposition or for other uses.Thus, utilization of the mask 460 may enable spray refurbishment oftargeted areas without requiring absolute accuracy in the placement andmovement of the gun 450. In fact, in various embodiments the gun 450 mayeven be translated (and even be spraying) over the entire eroded target,and material striking and/or accumulating on the mask 460 rather than inthe areas to be refurbished may be recovered for future use.

In various embodiments, either with or without the mask 460 present, thegun 450 may be controlled to substantially only spray particulates ofmaterial when disposed over the areas of the eroded sputtering target tobe refurbished (e.g., the deep pockets 210). For example, the sprayrefurbishment may be performed by an automated spraying system in whichthe relative motion between the gun 450 and the target is roboticallycontrolled (via movement of the gun 450, the target, or both). Invarious embodiments, the depth and/or surface contour informationobtained from the eroded sputtering target may be utilized to programthe system to perform the relative movement between the gun 450 and thetarget, such that the particulate material is sprayed only when the gun450 is disposed over the area(s) to be refurbished. Alternatively, theparticulate material may be sprayed at a reduced rate when the gun 450is disposed over area(s) not to be refurbished, and/or the system may heprogrammed for relative movement between the gun 450 and the target thatis faster when the gun 450 is disposed over area(s) not to berefurbished; thus, the amount of particulate material (if any) sprayedover such areas is minimized or substantially eliminated. In otherembodiments of the invention, the spray refurbishment may he performedwith a hand-held spray gun 450, as mentioned above, which may becontrolled by an operator to only spray the particulate material overthe area(s) to be refurbished.

As shown in FIG. 4A, after the partial refurbishment process, the target400 includes sprayed material 410 at least partially filling the deeppockets 210. Sprayed material 410 typically includes or consistsessentially of unmelted powder of the material of plate 400. Inpreferred embodiments, the sprayed material 410 at least partially fillsthe deep pockets 210 such that a surface 420 in such regions is at leastsubstantially coplanar with a surface 430 in medium-depth regions 230(as shown for the left-hand deep pocket 210 in FIG. 4A). As also shown,the surface 420 may extend above surface 430, but is preferably lower orsubstantially coplanar with a surface 440 of the shallow regions 240 (asshown for the right-hand deep pocket 210 in FIG. 4A). Thus, in general,preferred surfaces 420 lie along surface 430, along surface 440, orbetween surfaces 430, 440. After the partial refurbishment of target400, it may be placed back into the sputtering tool and utilized foradditional sputtering processes. Such additional sputtering may resultagain in non-unifoim consumption of surface material, and the resultingdeep pockets may again be at least partially filled in a subsequentpartial refurbishment process. In this manner, a single sputteringtarget may be partially refurbished multiple times (while beingsputtered therebetween) before full refurbishment or recycling of thetarget is required.

In many embodiments, the interface between the eroded surface of thetarget and the spray-deposited material is detectable visually and/or bymetallographic evaluation, i.e., all or a portion of the interface mayinclude a distinct boundary line between the eroded surface of thetarget and the spray-deposited material. For example, thespray-deposited material may exhibit improved metallurgical character(finer grain size and a finer degree of chemical homogeneity) than theoriginal target material. Furthermore, the interface may be detectablevia chemical analysis, as it may incorporate a finite concentration ofimpurities (e.g., oxygen and/or carbon) that is detectable (i.e.,greater than a background level of the target) but that preferably hasno deleterious impact on the sputtering process in which the partiallyrefurbished target is employed. FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary boundaryline 500 at an interface, within a partially refurbished MoTi sputteringtarget, between an uneroded region 510 initially fabricated via powdermetallurgy techniques (e.g., hot or cold isostatic pressing) and aspray-deposited region 520 deposited by cold spray. FIG. 6 is amicrograph depicting a similar boundary line 600 between an unerodedregion 610 having a larger grain size than that within a spray-depositedregion 620 deposited by cold spray. In some embodiments, the grain sizeof region 620 may be increased via post-spray annealing such that thegrain size of region 620 approaches, or even becomes approximately equalto, that of region 610. Region 610 may be initially fabricated by, forexample, ingot metallurgy (e.g., pressing and/or rolling) or powdermetallurgy techniques (e.g., pressing and sintering, or hot or coldisostatic pressing).

In preferred embodiments, the spray refurbishment of deep pockets 210 isperformed such that the obliquity angle between the jet of sprayedparticles and the surface contour of the deep pockets 210 isapproximately 45° or greater (e.g., between approximately 45° andapproximately 90°), as described in U.S. Patent Application PublicationNo. 2013/0156967, filed Dec. 13, 2012, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein. In embodiments in which the sprayedmaterial 410 is a mixture of two or more different materials (e.g., Moand Ti), such large obliquity angles may enable high depositionefficiencies, thus enabling a controlled, consistent composition of thesprayed material 410 (since, for example, different depositionefficiencies of the different materials results in variations incomposition). Such large obliquity angles also provide, in preferredembodiments, low porosity of sprayed material 410 and high bond strengthbetween sprayed material 410 and the sputtering target.

After spray-deposition of the material 410 to form the partiallyrefurbished target 400, the target 400 (at least proximate the material410) may be heat treated for stress relief, to improve ductility,toughness, and bonding (e.g., bond strength), to reduce interstitial gascontent, and/or to provide the material 410 with a microstructuresubstantially equal to that of other portions of target 400 (i.e., theunconsumed and thus unsprayed regions thereof). In some embodiments ofthe invention, the heat treatment may be performed under vacuum, at atemperature between approximately 700° C. and approximately 1050° C.,and/or for a time between approximately 1 hour and approximately 16hours. Instead of or in addition to such heat treatments, the partiallyrefurbished target 400 (at least proximate the material 410) may bemachined, ground, and/or polished before replaced in a sputtering toolfor additional sputtering therewith. For example, if the material 410extends above the surrounding material of the target 400 after spraying,it may be ground or machined such that its top surface is substantiallycoplanar with at least some of the surrounding surface contour of thetarget 400. Such machining, grinding, and/or polishing may, e.g., helpminimize or eliminate arcing from the sputtering target duringsputtering processes and/or reduce burn-in time (should it be required).

In addition, the heat treatment may relieve residual stresses from thespray-deposition process. For example, in many cases, sprayed materialmelted during spraying tends to have tensile residual stress, whilesprayed material that is not melted during spraying tends to havecompressive residual stress. (For example, cold-sprayed Ta may haveresidual compressive stress of between 30 and 50,000 psi.) Such residualstresses may result in non-uniform sputtering rates from the targetincorporating the sprayed material. In conventional (i.e., notincorporating sprayed material) targets, residual machining stressesfrequently necessitate a costly burn-in period (i.e., sputtering away ofthe stressed surface layer) prior to sputtering with new targets.Embodiments of the present invention described herein facilitate thepartial spray refurbishment of sputtering targets and subsequent heattreatment. In this manner, the need for a burn-in period prior tosputtering from the partially refurbished target is reduced orsubstantially eliminated.

EXAMPLE

The amount of erosion for a spent MoTi P8 sputtering target was measuredafter the target had been sputtered within a sputtering tool. The newtarget weight was approximately 65 kg, and the weight of the erodedtarget was approximately 46.2 kg. Thus, approximately 29% of the targethad been sputtered away, and complete refurbishment of the target wouldhave utilized at least 19 kg of powder (i.e., particulates of thesputtering material). Moreover, full refurbishment of the target mayhave involved overspray (i.e., spray deposition to levels above theinitial surface plane of the target) and/or machining losses, thusnecessitating the use of at least 24 kg of powder. Utilizing typicalspray rates of 3 kg/hour, full refurbishment of the target would haverequired at least 8 hours of spray time.

Surface profiling of the spent target revealed that the typical erosiondepth of the medium-depth regions was approximately 6 mm, but the depthof the deep pockets near the ends of the target the depth wasapproximately 12 mm. The volume of material required to fill each of thedeep pockets to approximately the same level as the medium-depth regionswas only about 28 cm3, corresponding to approximately 0.2 kg of the MoTimaterial of the target. Thus, only approximately 0.4 kg of spraymaterial was required to fill the two deep pockets of the erodedsputtering target. Thus, the partial refurbishment of the targetrequired less than 2% of the powder that would have been required forfull refurbishment, and the partial refurbishment enabled furthersputtering of the partially refurbished target. The partialrefurbishment of the target took only approximately 10-20 minutes,rather than the 8 hours required for full refurbishment. The target wasreinserted into the sputtering tool, and additional sputtering processeswere performed utilizing the partially refurbished target. Thesputtering rate of the partially refurbished target, as well as thephysical and electrical properties of the sputtered material, wassubstantially identical to those achieved via sputtering before thepartial refurbishment.

In this example, the P8 sputtering target was approximately 2700 mm longand approximately 200 mm wide and possessed a racetrack erosion patternof comparable dimensions. As mentioned above, full refurbishment of sucha large area typically requires complicated spray-deposition apparatuswith large robotics to extend across the entire area. However, the deeppockets were only about 50 mm long and had a fairly shallow slope to theshallow-depth regions that was only an additional 150 mm long. Thus, thespray-deposition system (and related robotics) needed only to extendabout 200 mm for partial refurbishment. This enabled the utilization ofturn-key laboratory-size gantry-based cold-spray systems such as the VRCGen III Hybrid High Pressure Cold Spray System available from VRC MetalSystems of Rapid City, S. Dak. Such units cost less than about 25% thecost of a full-size cold-spray system required for full refurbishment ofsuch large sputtering targets.

The terms and expressions employed herein are used as terms andexpressions of description and not of limitation, and there is nointention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding anyequivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof. Inaddition, having described certain embodiments of the invention, it willbe apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodimentsincorporating the concepts disclosed herein may be used withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, thedescribed embodiments are to be considered in all respects as onlyillustrative and not restrictive.

1.-88. (canceled)
 89. A method of sputtering a target material, themethod comprising: disposing within a sputtering tool a partiallyrefurbished sputtering target comprising: a target plate (i) comprisingthe target material and (ii) having a surface contour defining (a) a topsurface and (b) a recessed region having a surface recessed below thetop surface, and disposed on the target plate adjacent the recessedregion, a layer of unmelted metal powder (i) having a top surface (a)approximately coplanar with the top surface of the target plate or (b)recessed below the top surface to a depth no deeper than a depth of thesurface of the recessed region, and (ii) having an interface with theplate disposed at a depth deeper than the surface of the recessedregion; and sputtering target material from the partially refurbishedsputtering target.
 90. The method of claim 89, wherein the partiallyrefurbished sputtering target is formed by: providing an erodedsputtering target having a surface contour defining (i) an upper surfacelevel, (ii) a first eroded region having a surface depth recessed belowthe upper surface level, and (iii) a second eroded region having asurface depth deeper than the surface depth of the first eroded region,the eroded sputtering target comprising the target material; andspray-depositing particles of the target material to at least partiallyfill the second eroded region without spray-deposition in the firsteroded region.
 91. The method of claim 89, wherein the partiallyrefurbished sputtering target is formed by: providing an erodedsputtering target having a surface contour defining (i) an upper surfacelevel, (ii) a first eroded region having a surface depth recessed belowthe upper surface level, and (iii) a second eroded region having asurface depth deeper than the surface depth of the first eroded region,the eroded sputtering target comprising the target material; identifyingone or more characteristics of the second eroded region;spray-depositing particles of the target material to at least partiallyfill the second eroded region; and during spray deposition of particlesof the target material, substantially preventing deposition of particlesof the target material in the first eroded region, whereby the surfacedepth of the first eroded region remains recessed below the uppersurface level thereafter.
 92. The method of claim 89, wherein the topsurface of the layer of unmelted metal powder is approximately coplanarwith the top surface of the target plate.
 93. The method of claim 89,wherein the top surface of the layer of unmelted metal powder isrecessed below the top surface to a depth shallower than the depth ofthe surface of the recessed region.
 94. The method of claim 89, whereinthe top surface of the layer of unmelted metal powder is recessed belowthe top surface to a depth substantially equal to the depth of thesurface of the recessed region.
 95. The method of claim 89, wherein thelayer of unmelted metal powder comprises the target material.
 96. Themethod of claim 89, wherein a backing plate is affixed to the targetplate.
 97. The method of claim 96, wherein the backing plate comprises amaterial having a melting point lower than a melting point of the targetmaterial.
 98. The method of claim 96, wherein the backing platecomprises at least one of copper, aluminum, or steel.
 99. The method ofclaim 96, wherein the target plate is affixed to the backing plate witha bonding agent.
 100. The method of claim 99, wherein a melting point ofthe bonding agent is less than approximately 200° C.
 101. The method ofclaim 99, wherein the bonding agent comprises indium solder.
 102. Themethod of claim 89, wherein: the target plate has a first grain size anda first crystalline microstructure, and the layer of unmelted metalpowder has at least one of (i) a second grain size finer than the firstgrain size, or (ii) a second crystalline microstructure more random thanthe first crystalline microstructure.
 103. The method of claim 102,wherein the target plate was initially formed by ingot metallurgy orpowder metallurgy.
 104. The method of claim 102, wherein there is adistinct boundary line between the target plate and the layer ofunmelted powder.
 105. The method of claim 89, wherein the targetmaterial comprises at least one of Mo, Ti, Mo/Ti, Nb, Ta, W, Zr, amixture of two or more thereof or one or more thereof with one or moreother metals, or an alloy of two or more thereof or one or more thereofwith one or more other metals.
 106. The method of claim 89, wherein thetarget material comprises at least one of Al, Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, a mixtureof two or more thereof or one or more thereof with one or more othermetals, or an alloy of two or more thereof or one or more thereof withone or more other metals.
 107. The method of claim 89, wherein a volumeof the layer of unmelted metal powder is less than a volume of therecessed region.
 108. The method of claim 89, wherein: the target plateis substantially rectangular and has first and second opposing ends; therecessed region and the layer of unmelted metal powder collectivelydefine an annulus, the surface contour of at least a portion of a centerof the annulus corresponding to the top surface of the target plate; andthe layer of unmelted metal powder is disposed within (i) a first endportion of the annulus proximate the first end of the target plate and(ii) a second end portion of the annulus proximate the second end of thetarget plate. 109.-148. (canceled)